1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to controlling electronic devices, and particularly to a configurable hardware interface for interconnecting electronic devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic devices can encompass many types of devices having various functionalities. These electronic devices could include, for example, laptop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and cell phones. Each of these types of electronic devices includes a predetermined type of device driver.
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system 100 including a plurality of personal computers (PCs) 103 coupled to a server 104 and a printer 106 via an Ethernet connection 105. PCs 103 are further coupled to a modem 101 via a phone cable 102. As known by those skilled in the art, a computer user must obtain and maintain the proper device drivers for printers, faxes, and other peripherals that attach to the computer. This process is time-consuming and tedious for the user. Therefore, a need arises for an interface that allows an unknown device 107 to be coupled to PCs 103, irrespective of the device drivers then installed in PCs 103. Moreover, a need further arises for an interface that allows unknown device 107 to be coupled to any system and to function within that system.